1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cleaning equipment and machines, and more particularly to a storage tank cleaning machine for cleaning and disinfecting tanks, such as underground water storage tanks, cisterns, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage tanks are used for retaining various liquids in a large number of different environments. An example of such is the widespread use of individual water storage tanks or cisterns for household and small business use in various parts of the world, particularly in more arid climates. These tanks are generally installed below ground in order to moderate the influence of high temperatures on the tanks and their contents during the day. Such tanks are usually constructed of poured concrete for their walls, floor, and roof, and are lined with a waterproof coating, such as bitumen and/or ceramic tiles. Such tanks are generally constructed to have an internal volume of anywhere from twelve to thirty-six cubic meters, or from nearly 3,300 U.S. gallons up to nearly 10,000 U.S. gallons of water. The tanks may receive water from a municipal or other water supply network, or from periodic deliveries by tank truck or the like.
Regardless of the purity of the water or other liquid supplied to the tank, there will almost certainly be some eventual buildup of contamination and foreign matter within the tank. In the case of a tank containing potable water, this is potentially quite hazardous due to the potential for bacteria and/or other toxins to develop within the tank. Accordingly, such tanks generally require periodic internal cleaning. Access hatches are generally installed in the tops of such tanks to provide access for internal cleaning.
Such tanks are conventionally cleaned manually. Workers open the access hatch and enter the tank to perform the cleaning operation. The working environment can be hazardous due to poor lighting, high temperatures and humidity, and toxic fumes from disinfectants, such as chlorine products, applied in the tank. Even if the workers are able to clean the tank satisfactorily, there is always some chance that some inadvertent contamination may remain due to the presence of the workers inside the tank. Moreover, any water used to clean and flush the interior of the tank must be pumped out and is generally wasted with no recovery.
Thus, a storage tank cleaning machine solving the aforementioned problems is desired.